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Guyana stands firm on joint Corentyne Bridge despite Suriname’s solo funding claim
(Kaieteur News) – President Irfaan Ali has confirmed that Guyana has received no official communication from Paramaribo regarding reports that Suriname intends to unilaterally finance and own the planned $236 million Corentyne River Bridge. Speaking on the sidelines of a swearing-in ceremony for puisne judges on Wednesday, President Ali emphasised that Georgetown’s position remains unchanged and that the megaproject remains a bilateral initiative.
“I have not received anything official, other than what’s already been placed in the media,” President Ali stated. “The Corentyne River bridge is a bridge that is being discussed jointly as a joint project by the Government of Guyana and the Government of Suriname. Guyana is interested in being part of a project that covers two sovereign states in a joint manner. That has always been our vision.”
President Irfaan Ali and Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons during their engagement in 2025.
President Ali also noted that river operations remain unaffected by the political back-and-forth, confirming with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that no recent challenges or complaints have been reported by operators or users of the river. “I have not received any complaint from any of the operators on any challenge of recent,” the President noted. “I have not received any complaint of any challenge from the users of the river in recent times. And I have confirmed this also with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As you are aware, the efforts continue.”
The diplomatic confusion erupted after Surinamese Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Stephen Tsang, announced during a parliamentary budget debate that Suriname would bypass the shared bilateral framework entirely.
According to Surinamese news outlet Star Nieuws, Tsang informed legislators that the government decided to finance the bridge 100% on its own, declaring, “It must and will be a Surinamese bridge.”
Tsang conceded that opting for solo financing will effectively reset the project’s timeline. Depending on the financial model chosen by the Ministry of Finance, which is currently exploring toll mechanisms, a completely new international tender procedure may be required.
When asked about the sudden declaration, President Ali signaled that his administration does not view a minister’s parliamentary statement as an official change in state-to-state policy. He noted that he was operating under explicit, recent commitments made directly to him by Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons.
According to Ali, President Geerlings-Simons had assured him that Suriname was simply finalising its side of the existing shared legal framework, while Guyana had already completed its administrative preparations. “There is only one thing we’re interested in and that is the joint development of the bridge and that was the arrangement from day one,” Ali stated firmly. He added that if an official request to alter the agreement is made, he will “pronounce decisively on it.”
The proposed 3.1-kilometer bridge across the Corentyne River is widely regarded as a critical economic infrastructure asset. It is designed to replace the aging ferry connection between South Drain in Suriname and Moleson Creek in Guyana, physically linking the two neighboring oil-producing nations, with eventual connections to French Guiana and Brazil.
Just last year, both heads of state issued a joint statement hailing the “transformative potential” of the project for regional trade, tourism, and connectivity within the Amazon Region. While the Surinamese Public Works Minister declined to clarify how this financial decoupling would impact standing bilateral treaties, Guyanese officials are maintaining a unified front. When approached for comment, Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, remained brief:
“The president has already commented, I have nothing further to say on the matter.”
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